Gratitude
by Cataclysmic Eclipse
Summary: A week after the events that took place in the Lightening Temple, Sheena goes off alone to think about the experience alone before Zelos interrupts her thoughts.


_A/N: Wrote this awhile back when I was feeling low and it was raining out too. Pathetic fallacy in real life__…what is the world coming to? Edited it recently so it's a bit better, I'd say. If there's anything I could improve on, feedback would be lovely. This is my first time tackling Sheena and Zelos so there might be something a bit off in characterization._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia or the song by The Cure that I named this after._

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_Gratitude_

Sheena sighed as she turned the bell in her hands over and over again and stared at it's dismal depths. There was no moon or stars to cast light against it's brazen copper since the sky was blackened by the onslaught of the clouds of a coming tempest. She should probably join her friends inside the inn joining in the banter they always exchanged but she wasn't in the mood for any of that, so she sat outside, leaning against the wooden frame of the inn comfortable in her melancholic solitude. A rumbling of thunder met her ears. _It's rain soon enough_, she thought to herself through a yawn, and she'd probably get drenched and end up freezing but she didn't care. How could she? Corrine was gone.

Lightning streaked against the blackened sky, alighting it for mere moments before it returned to the sinister abyss of darkness that now engulfed her. Sheena wrapped her arms about herself and shivered, her hand tightened around the bell that was grasped in her hand. Ever since that day at the Lightning Temple that must've been at least a week now, it felt as if someone had ripped a hole in her stomach. In front of her friends she put up a strong front and tried to make them believe that after awhile she was better. But that was a lie. She was not alright and no matter how much time passed it did not change anything. Even if she forgot for awhile, when her thoughts eventually reached Corrine they were not happy ones. _Whoever said time heals all wounds was an idiot._

"Why hello there," came the voice of the one that she had no wish to hear then. He was standing in front of her, and she had not even noticed it as she was lost in her thoughts.

"Zelos," Sheena's voice was laced in bitterness as she met blue eyes that danced in amusement. Those eyes and that carefree tone of voice mocked the world of darkness and depression that she had wrapped herself in. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh, not much, just enjoying the view. I just wanted to check up on my favourite hunny," his voice held that same carefree tone as his gaze dropped to her chest, and he even had the audacity to grin. The annoyance that roiled through her system intensified more and she tightened her hold on the bell in her fist. "Why not come inside, hmm? Looks like it's going to rain soon."

"I'm not your hunny, you idiot, and I don't want you of all people to check up on me. Just leave me alone!" Sheena yelled, and she did not care who heard her. She just wanted with all she had to make him leave and to return to the solitude of her thoughts of Corrine. His eyes widened at the intensity in her voice, but that brief flash of recognition was fleeting and his eyes returned to that carefree shape that she despised.

"No need to sound like a violent demonic banshee. Is that any way to talk to someone as rich and as beautiful as _moi_?"

"Shut up, Zelos. You're only here to piss me off."

"Now, now, is that anyway to treat someone that wants to stop you from getting wet?"

Sheena rolled her eyes. "Just leave me alone."

"Oh, and is-"

"Shut up! I don't want any help from you of all people, all you care about is yourself," Sheena's voice was low and dangerous now, and her eyes narrowed as an anger unlike any anger she felt before surged through her being. "Why did you of all people have to live when Corrine had to die? The world doesn't make any sense."

Zelos stood there in a shock and he stared at her through blue eyes. Sheena felt the anger course through her still and she turned away from him and leant against the wooden wall, folding her arms behind her head. She said nothing to fill the silence that had settled upon them, her mind still filled with anger at what. Maybe if she ignored him, he'd just go away.

"Yeah…the world doesn't make any sense, does it?" he muttered under his breath and she could have sworn that there was hurt radiating from his voice what with it sounding hollow and empty.

_Wait, what? _She thought as she shook her head in disbelief and brought her arms to her side. _Hurt? Zelos? Since when? He never sounded like that before, he always had that stupid smirk on his face. _She turned her head and saw Zelos walking slowly away in the distance and in the rain that now came pouring down in torrents. Guilt erupted in her stomach at exactly how she treated him. Even if it was Zelos he didn't deserve what she felt 'cause she was angry and confused and felt so many things over the loss of one of her closest friends. Corrine definitely would not approve of this behaviour. _Ah, hell. _

"Hey, Zelos wait up," Sheena called as she ran to him, from the covering of the inn outside, where she felt the cold rain collide against her skin and caught him by the arm. He turned around to face her but instead of that detestable smirk she was used to his face held an impassive mask. "Look, I'm sorry about before."

"Wasn't it true what you said?" he asked and for once she couldn't tell what answer he wanted. This was so unlike the Zelos she knew.

"Forget about what I said, alright? You caught me at a bad time when I was feeling terrible and thinking about Corrine," Sheena gulped down the lump that had formed in her throat. "Then you were there and there you were acting like an idiot so I got pissed.

Zelos stiffled a laugh. " 'Acted like an idiot'? How harsh."

"Well _so-rry _but you always do. Even you don't deserve what I said, I feel like such a jerk. Even if you act like a perverted idiot I do consider you a friend. So…I'm sorry."

"Hmm," Zelos said and looked at her through a studying gaze, and Sheena couldn't help but notice the raindrops that ran through his long red hair and down his face in trails. No snide remark, how odd. "So you didn't mean what you said before?"

"About the dying thing? No, not at all, I was just kind of out of it 'cause of Corrine."

"You've been out of it for awhile now," he said and she could've sworn there was concern in his eyes.

Sheena's eyes widened in shock. "You noticed?"

" 'Course I noticed. You think that I wouldn't?" he said sounding quite serious. There was no snide undertone in his voice, no flippant remark, nothing that sounded remotely of how she thought Zelos was.

"But you never did anything to help, all you said were stupid things and jokes and you always had that stupid smirk."

"And me acting depressed was going to make you feel better? At least that way I did it got you to smile."

"What?" Sheena whispered and felt further shock through her and she could even bear the cold of the rain made her shiver.

"You cold?" Zelos' face was a bit worried again and she felt a hand against her arm and she did nothing to deflect it.

"You care," she said in marvel, more to herself then anything and shook her head, sending the water from her hair about her. "How come you never said any of this before?"

"Who knows," Zelos said and for some reason she felt like he was hiding something. She looked up at him, through all the rain and she felt as though she had misjudged him.

"Who are you?" Sheena said and felt his hand trail down her arm and reach her hand and she unconsciously squeezed it, feeling that it was now cold from the rain.

"The Great Zelos," Zelos said with a sly smile and Sheena giggled. He wasn't serious when he said that, was he? Was he ever serious when he said that? _Who knows? I'll sort that out later. _

"C'mon, let's go inside," Sheena said, through her confusion. "It's freezing out here."

"Yeah, no kidding," Zelos said and she felt his hand squeeze hers and they both walked through the mud towards the inn, where their friends would be. Sheena's mind kept on going back to what had just happened and how different it was from the Zelos she thought she knew. She had no idea how she was going to see Zelos from now on, but that was fine, she could always figure that out later. He looked at her with a small smile creeping on him and she returned it, and she felt an odd sense of gratitude for him since he went out of his way to find her and make sure she didn't spend hours in the dark. He wasn't such a bad guy after all.


End file.
